One Who Readers

Last week Google announced that it’s pulling the plug on Google Reader, which for years has allowed people like me to subscribe to, organize, and quickly scan dozens or even hundreds of blogs and websites with RSS feeds. “While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined,” was the summary judgment. Cue gnashing of teeth and rending of garments.

I recall going through a similar period of mourning a few years ago when Bloglines shut down. After I made the switch to Google Reader I figured I was safe, which proves how little I know about capitalism and its discontents. Now, like the rest of the loyal followers, I’m searching for a Google Reader replacement. Suggestions welcome.*

In the meantime some eager minion at Prismatic noticed my public jeremiad and solicited my business via tweet. Here’s what I saw when I clicked the link:

 

Hey there, Prismatic: You’re missing a comma after “Hey there.”

 

Prismatic isn’t what I’m looking for – I want lists and folders, not a newspaper layout – but I do admire “Readerer.” I’ve written about other -erers – funnerer, gooderer, creamier-er, closerer, Maker’s-er, dumberer, et al. – but “Readerer” is the first agentive -erer that’s caught my attention.

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* Non-iOS only, please.

Comments

[Dave G]

21 Mar. 2013

Some stand-alone e-mail programs, such as Thunderbird, can be set up as RSS readers, as well as news readers for the old Usenet news groups.

I don't know if it's what you have in mind, but you may wish to check it out.

I've read that Thunderbird is no longer being actively developed, but it may be at a stage where it's fine for what you want.

Dave

[Steve]

I looked at several (and documented my research on Google+ http://gplus.to/SteveHall ), finally settling on Feedly http://feedly.com. Currently, it uses your Google Reader subscription list, but the developers have vowed to have a seamless transition to a new version by July 1. Besides Firefox and Chrome extensions, there are versions for Android (phone and tablet) and Kindle.

Linking from Feedly to Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (and others) are supported, and Evernote clipping is supported as well. In fact...the more I use Feedly, the more I like it (and would probably stay with it, even if Google changed its mind on Reader).

[Nancy Friedman]

Dave G: I use Outlook and Gmail and am reluctant to add yet another email program.

Steve: I did look into Feedly. I disliked it at first glance, but maybe I need to fiddle with the settings a little more until I see a format I like. I've also been experimenting with The Old Reader, which is slow and clunky.

[Gene]

I switched to Feedly http://feedly.com. It's not perfect, but I've been pretty happy with it.

[Steve]

Nancy, I set Feedly's Start Page to "Index," and Default View to "Titles Only – Google Reader" under the General Preferences, and that gives a pretty good approximation of Google Reader. Also, I generally click the "All" button on the reader itself to list all the articles, a la Google Reader.

Like you, I'm no fan of "newspaper" or "magazine" layouts in my RSS reader.

[Nancy Friedman]

Thanks, Steve! I'll get the hang of it eventually.

[Robin]

Funny, I just discovered your blog because of the demise of Google Reader. I was setting up a new account at Feedly (I like it so far--although it has the magazine format you don't like, you can also make it do lists like Reader), and it suggested your blog. And I just happen to have been translating a short story into British English, so for this American, a fortuitous discovery!

[Nancy Friedman]

Robin: I suddenly feel a surge of love for Feedly.

[Dan Brown]

Check out NewsBlur. The interface is a little esoteric at first, but it has the familiar list of sites in one pane and list of articles in the other. Plus it has some nice features that learn what kinds of stories you like. I discarded the others (Feedly, Prismatic) because they tried to be more than a list of headlines.

[Sam]

www.netvibes.com has a special reader format that's a lot like Google Reader - I've made the switch now in preparation, and am really happy.

[Ben Zimmer]

As for agentive -erer, linguists sometimes refer to someone who participates in a phonological merger as a mergerer. See, e.g., this use of r-mergerer on Ben Trawick-Smith's Dialect Blog.

[Ben Zimmer]

Hmm, your new commenting interface strips out all HTML tags, I see. Mean to include this link for "merger":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonological_change#Merger

and this link for Dialect Blog:

http://dialectblog.com/2011/09/21/marry-merry-mary/